Truck driver stops to help biker he hit, is lynched in West Bengal's Kharagpur
Times of India | 13 September 2024
KHARAGPUR: A truck driver was beaten to death after stepping out of his vehicle to help a biker he had hit at Panchberia in Kharagpur on Wednesday. The biker also died in the accident.
Shyam Shankar Dhankuar, who hailed from Maharashtra, was heading towards Chaurangi after unloading onions at Golbazar when he hit Arjun Nayek (30), a resident of Kharagpur city’s New Traffic area, around 10.30pm on Wednesday.
Instead of fleeing the scene, Dhankuar stopped and tried to help the victim. However, locals surrounded him and took him to a local club, where he was assaulted. The biker was taken to Kharagpur Sub Divisional Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
A large police force from both Kharagpur Town and Kharagpur Local police stations went to the club to control the situation and rescue the truck driver, and had to resort to lathicharge. Even as police were taking Dhankuar away, the mob tried to snatch him back.
Seven cops, including Kharagpur Town police station’s IC Rajib Pal, were injured and treated in hospital. The truck driver was admitted to Midnapore Medical College and Hospital and later transferred to Kolkata. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to the city on Thursday morning.
Eleven people were arrested in connection with the incident. They were produced in Kharagpur court with a plea for 14-day police custody; assistant public prosecutor Bandana Ghosh said the court granted 10 days.
West Midnapore SP Dhritiman Sarkar said: “After a road accident that resulted in a death, the truck driver was beaten and the vehicle was vandalised. Police were injured while trying to save the driver. The investigation is on.”
Nayek’s brother Sambhu said: “Arjun had gone to bring food from a shop near Kharagpur bus stand. I got a call that he had been in an accident and rushed to the spot. I was left alone with my brother as locals were busy assaulting the truck driver. When I finally managed to take him to hospital, he had already died.”